Head to head · Agent frameworks · October 2026 research run
Docker Agent vs AI SDK
AI SDK scores 89.8 (AA) on agent readiness against Docker Agent's 73.6 (BB), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do agent frameworks.
Best agent frameworks and SDKs · All 171 frameworks comparisons
Which one, for what
Docker Agent BB
Best for Teams already on Docker who want agents defined in a file, shared through an OCI registry and run the same way in a terminal, in CI or behind an HTTP, MCP or A2A server.
Also in its favour
- No key needed to call it
- Free to start without a card
Watch for
Usage telemetry is on by default and command events can include prompts passed as arguments
AI SDK AA
Best for TypeScript teams building agents and chat UIs who want one API across many providers and a short path to MCP.
Ahead on
- Reliability, 93 against 88
- Schema & documentation, 100 against 90
- Agent ergonomics, 95 against 81
- Security & auth, 90 against 70
- Transparency & trust, 89 against 81
Also in its favour
- No incidents deducted, where Docker Agent loses 7 points for them
Watch for
TypeScript only, and ai 7.x needs Node 22 or newer
Why the edge
Each category where one leads by five points or more, with the reason behind each side's score from its assessment. The numbers are in the table below; this is what they stand for.
Security & auth AI SDK +20
Docker Agent 70
Framework reading. 30 for what leaves the machine by default, 20 for approvals and sandboxing, 15 for prompt-injection posture, 15 for audit and 20 for the security programme. Usage telemetry is on by default, with a notice on first start and TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false to stop it. The telemetry page, moved to the configuration section by 17 October, still says command events include positional arguments, which for run and exec can include prompts, and error text (12). Four safety modes with allow, ask and deny rules, a default that asks for anything not read-only, --exec rejecting unapproved calls, --sandbox for a Docker Sandboxes VM, and HTTP MCP defaulting to loopback and restricted. Since 1.152.0 (21 October) the API server rejects cross-origin requests, checks Host on unauthenticated listeners and requires --auth-token on non-loopback ones. A run's --listen control plane still has no built-in authentication and accepts loopback addresses and local sockets only (19). The docs treat skill files and third-party configs as untrusted and restrict URI schemes against prompt injection, with no dedicated guidance page (10). Hooks for audit logging and approval decisions, opt-in OpenTelemetry traces, NDJSON transcripts and a session database (14). SECURITY.md with a 72-hour acknowledgement, a valid security.txt on docker.com (expires 2030-01-01, re-read on 1 November), two advisories published on GitHub with fixed versions, and CodeQL and zizmor in CI. No paid bounty, and we saw no CVE identifiers on the advisories. The advisories page answered 403 on 1 November, the GitHub advisory database held no new docker-agent entry from August to November, and OSV lists none for the Go module. 1.152.0 updates Go to 1.27.3 for its security fixes and locks down the REST API against CSRF and DNS rebinding, with no advisory found for the latter (15). SOC 2 isn't scored for a framework.
AI SDK 90
No telemetry until an OpenTelemetry integration is registered. String model IDs route to Vercel's AI Gateway by default, which is documented and needs a Vercel key, so it isn't silent (25). Per-tool approval, HMAC-signed approvals against forged client history, and Open Policy Agent rules in @ai-sdk/policy-opa, though sandboxes are experimental (20). ToolLoopAgent rejects system messages in prompts by default as an injection risk, URL fetches are checked against private addresses, and MCP HTTP transport refuses redirects by default, but there's no guardrail primitive (10). OpenTelemetry spans for every model and tool call to any backend, opt-in (15). HackerOne programme, a valid security.txt, SECURITY.md and two low-severity advisories published with fixed versions (20). Framework reading, so SOC 2 isn't scored.
Agent ergonomics AI SDK +14
Docker Agent 81
Framework reading, scored on what an agent with MCP needs. The README's agent with one MCP server is eight lines of YAML and no code, with deferred toolsets and a code mode (23). Budgets cap cost, tokens and time, tool results are bounded to 50 KiB since 1.148.0, and context is compacted, but max_iterations is unlimited and no budget applies unless declared (16). --json writes one NDJSON event per message, tool call and error, and the API documents 404, 409, 413 and 502 responses. No exit-code reference found for run --exec (14). Sessions resume from SQLite, the event stream replays from a sequence number, follow-ups accept an Idempotency-Key, and read-only and destructive tool annotations drive the safety modes (18). One binary and a model key or a local model are enough to start. The library is Go only (10).
AI SDK 95
An MCP client in a few lines with createMCPClient and client.tools(), and tool search with deferLoading keeps unused tool definitions out of the prompt (25). stopWhen with a default of 20 steps, and prepareStep to trim messages, switch models or limit active tools per step (20). 38 typed errors with isInstance guards, and MCP results with isError go back to the model (20). maxRetries on model calls, opt-in retries for transient MCP failures only, and WorkflowAgent for durable steps with automatic retries (20). Few required parameters, but TypeScript only, and a string model ID needs an AI Gateway key unless a default provider is set (10).
Schema & documentation AI SDK +10
Docker Agent 90
Framework reading. agent-schema.json in the repository is a JSON Schema for the whole config, and the chat server serves its OpenAPI document at /openapi.json. We found no OpenAPI document for the native /api server and didn't check the Go package reference (22). llms.txt on docker.github.io/docker-agent and on docs.docker.com (10). The docs say when to use the API server and when the chat server, compare six ways to pass large input, and state that permissions aren't a security boundary (17). Configs are parsed strictly, unknown fields fail to load with a hint, and safety fields accept four named modes only (13). An examples directory, a troubleshooting page of common errors and documented HTTP status codes for the API. We found no exit-code reference for run --exec (13). A dated CHANGELOG.md and a numbered config schema, now version 16, with migration on load (15).
AI SDK 100
Typed TypeScript API with a reference section for every function (25). llms.txt and a Markdown copy of each page (10). The docs say when to use each piece, such as a table of WorkflowAgent against ToolLoopAgent, a when-to-use section for subagents and harnesses, and HTTP over stdio for MCP in production (20). Tools take Zod or JSON Schema inputs (15). 38 error types documented in the reference, with error-handling guides and examples throughout (15). Versioning page and a changesets CHANGELOG per package (15).
Transparency & trust AI SDK +8
Docker Agent 81
Apache-2.0 (30). The telemetry page lists what's collected and warns that arguments and error text can carry secrets or personal data. It doesn't name the endpoint (api.docker.com, per the source), link Docker's privacy policy or give a retention period, unchanged on 17 October (15). Breaking changes are dated in the changelog and one renamed variable kept a fallback for one release, with no written deprecation policy, and the changelog says frozen config schema versions aren't maintained long-term (10). Telemetry is disclosed in the README, the docs and a first-start notice, with an opt-out variable (20).
AI SDK 89
Apache 2.0 (30). The library stores nothing. The AI Gateway's ZDR page says it doesn't retain prompts or outputs and per-request ZDR is available on Pro and Enterprise, and Vercel's privacy notice is dated 1 June 2026, but we didn't read a DPA or subprocessor list (22). Deprecated APIs are removed only at majors with a migration guide, and 6.x and 5.x keep getting releases, without a written support window (14). Telemetry is opt-in and documented, with switches for inputs and outputs (20).
Reliability AI SDK +5
Docker Agent 88
Read with the local-software lines, because the owner runs it. Binaries for macOS, Linux and Windows on amd64 and arm64 on every GitHub release, a Homebrew formula at 1.154.0 on 1 November, a Docker Hub image updated on 31 October, and Docker Desktop 4.63 and later bundle it. Go 1.27 is the stated minimum for source builds (20). The ci workflow runs on every push to main with about 1,350 test files and an e2e directory. Nine of the last ten push runs passed on 8 October, per the 8 October check, not re-read on 1 November (25). 25 open issues and 17 open pull requests on 8 October, most labelled and answered, with open reports of a race in transfer_task (#4156), a hand-off dropped silently (#4242) and edit_file editing the first of several matches (#3929), per the 8 October check, not re-read on 1 November (20). The changelog has Breaking Changes sections, but those changes ship in minor releases (1.114.0, 1.133.0 and 1.137.0 since July) and the major version has never moved. Since then 1.152.0 (21 October) made --auth-token mandatory on non-loopback API listeners under Bug Fixes, and 1.153.0 (28 October) removed MCP sampling, roots and logging support under Technical Changes and changed Go runtime packages in commits marked !, none of them in a Breaking Changes section (8). 1.154.0, past 1.0 (15).
AI SDK 93
Official npm packages, with ai 7.x requiring Node 22 or newer (20). A public CI workflow with lint, type checks, unit tests, Node-version tests, MCP tests on Windows and e2e tests runs on every push to main, and the newest completed CI runs on main passed on 6 November (25). 1,517 open issues and pull requests on 6 November from GitHub's API, with 1,059 issues opened in the 90 days to 3 November; 47 of the 50 newest had a comment and 32 were closed (18). A written versioning page with breaking changes only in majors, experimental_ prefixes for unstable APIs and a migration guide per major (15). 7.0.163 (15). 20+25+18+15+15 = 93, up from 73 on 6 October, when GitHub couldn't be read.
Score by category
| Category | Weight this run | Docker Agent | AI SDK | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 16%20 | 88 | 93 | AI SDK +5 |
| Performance | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13%16.2 | 90 | 100 | AI SDK +10 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13%16.2 | 81 | 95 | AI SDK +14 |
| Security & auth | 14%17.5 | 70 | 90 | AI SDK +20 |
| Payments & pricing | 10%12.5 | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7%8.8 | 96 | 97 | AI SDK +1 |
| Transparency & trust | 7%8.8 | 81 | 89 | AI SDK +8 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -7 | 0 | |
| Total | BB 73.6/100 | AA 89.8/100 |
Facts side by side
| Fact | Docker Agent | AI SDK |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Agent framework | Agent framework |
| Vendor | Docker | Vercel Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | ||
| Auth | None | API key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-28 | 2026-11-05 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | 2026-06-01 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-26 | 2026-06-01 |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | yes, with an opt-out |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |
| Popularity | 4k stars | 28k stars, 44.9M npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | 2.8/5 (4) | none |
How the scores have moved
AI SDK
No score change since it was listed.
Verdicts
Docker Agent
An agent with an MCP server is eight lines of YAML, and the same file runs in a terminal, headless, or as an HTTP, MCP or A2A server. Usage telemetry is on by default and can carry prompts passed as command arguments, and breaking changes keep shipping in minor releases, two of them in October 2026 without a breaking label.
AI SDK
A TypeScript agent toolkit with ToolLoopAgent, a built-in MCP client, per-tool approvals that can be HMAC-signed, opt-in OpenTelemetry and durable runs through WorkflowAgent. It ships three major versions in 14 months (5.0, 6.0, 7.0), each with a migration guide, and plain string model IDs route through Vercel's AI Gateway unless another provider is set.
Before you call either
Docker Agent
- Set
TELEMETRY_ENABLED=falsebeforerunorexecwith a prompt on the command line. Telemetry is on by default and sends positional arguments - For unattended runs pass
--safety restrictedwith an allow-list, or--sandbox. Without a policy,--execrejects every tool call that needs approval - Set
max_iterationsand abudgetblock in the config. Both are unlimited by default - Run 1.130.0 or later. Earlier versions ran shell commands embedded in local skills, and A2A sessions before 1.126.0 skipped tool approval
- Review
runtime.safetyin any config pulled from a registry or URL. An author default ofautonomousruns every tool call unprompted - Pass
--auth-tokentoserve apion any non-loopback address from 1.152.0, or it won't start. Don't rely on MCP sampling, removed in 1.153.0
AI SDK
- Pass a provider instance such as openai('model') if traffic shouldn't go through Vercel's AI Gateway
- Set toolApproval on tools that write, and experimental_toolApprovalSecret when approvals come back from a browser
- Raise or replace the default stop condition of 20 steps with stopWhen
- Close the MCP client after the run, and use HTTP transport outside local development
- Set recordInputs and recordOutputs to false when spans would carry secrets
Questions
Which is better for AI agents, Docker Agent or AI SDK?
AI SDK scores 89.8 (AA) on agent readiness against Docker Agent's 73.6 (BB), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.
Are Docker Agent and AI SDK open source?
Yes. Docker Agent is open source (Apache-2.0). AI SDK is open source (Apache-2.0).
Other comparisons with Docker Agent or AI SDK
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- Docker Agent vs guilds.run
- Docker Agent vs LangGraph
- Docker Agent vs LlamaIndex Framework
- Docker Agent vs Mastra
- Docker Agent vs Microsoft Agent Framework
- Docker Agent vs OpenAI Agents SDK
- Docker Agent vs Pydantic AI
- Docker Agent vs smolagents
- Docker Agent vs Strands Agents
- Docker Agent vs TradingAgents
- Agent Development Kit (ADK) vs AI SDK
- guilds.run vs AI SDK
- LangGraph vs AI SDK
- LlamaIndex Framework vs AI SDK
- Mastra vs AI SDK
- Microsoft Agent Framework vs AI SDK
- OpenAI Agents SDK vs AI SDK
- Pydantic AI vs AI SDK
- smolagents vs AI SDK
- Strands Agents vs AI SDK
- TradingAgents vs AI SDK
Machine-readable
- This page as Markdown
/compare/docker-agent-vs-vercel-ai-sdk.md· slim.min.md· JSON.json(or sendAccept: text/markdown) - Each listing in full
/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json·/api/v1/tools/vercel-ai-sdk.json - From a terminal
anchor compare docker-agent vercel-ai-sdk(the CLI) - Over MCP
compare_tools {"a": "docker-agent", "b": "vercel-ai-sdk"}at/mcp, no key